Web Accessibility Myths: Can a Font Choice Violate the ADA?

On December 9th, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio ordered diplomats to stop using Calibri — a sans serif font — and to switch back to Times New Roman. Normally, a change in typeface wouldn’t make headlines, but Rubio’s department took the unusual step of decrying Calibri as both unprofessional and wasteful.

"To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface," Rubio reportedly wrote in a cable to U.S. diplomatic posts.

The previous administration reportedly chose Calibri because it’s more accessible for people with certain visual disabilities. As Rubio’s department switched back to Times New Roman, some reports (such as an op-ed from the Chicago Sun Times) suggested that the move may violate the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are the international standards for digital accessibility — and the de facto rules for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws.

So, can a font violate the ADA? Not exactly — but the answer is a bit complicated.

WCAG and the ADA don't require specific typefaces

The short answer is no: You are not required to use a specific font family to be compliant. WCAG doesn’t include set requirements for font size, nor do the authors strictly mandate sans serif fonts over serif fonts like Times New Roman.

The authors understand that setting strict design mandates wouldn't necessarily make the internet more accessible. In fact, WCAG sets very few requirements for web design, and all of its requirements are best practices (so following WCAG will not make your site ugly or less functional).

While the specific typeface might be a matter of preference, how you present that text is another question. WCAG has a few requirements for legibility and user control:

• Text Resize (WCAG Success Criterion (SC) 1.4.4): Text must be resizable up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality.
• Color Contrast (WCAG SC 1.4.3): Even the most readable font becomes useless if the user can't distinguish it from the background. If text lacks sufficient contrast, it might be unreadable for people with color vision deficiencies.
• No Images of Text (WCAG SC 1.4.5): Pictures of text can be frustrating for people who use screen readers and create problems for people who magnify content. Whenever possible, use actual text rather than images of text.

Note that these criteria apply to all digital content, not just website content. That means that mobile apps, software, and web-delivered documents (such as PDFs and spreadsheets) should also follow the rules.

Related: Best Fonts To Use for Website Accessibility

In certain scenarios, a font choice might be willfully discriminatory

While WCAG doesn’t approve or disapprove of specific fonts, the ADA requires that businesses, government entities, and other organizations take reasonable efforts to accommodate people with disabilities. If an organization purposely chose a font to make their products and services less accessible — or if they refused to provide an accommodation to folks with disabilities — most courts would probably see that as violation of the ADA.

For example, if a restaurant used an extremely small, serif font to discourage older patrons, that would be a violation (and a poor business decision). The Secretary of State’s decision to switch to Times New Roman probably doesn’t qualify here, since the administration argues that there are essential reasons for the switch (a more professional aesthetic on department documents).

It’s much more difficult to come up with a scenario in which digital text is willfully discriminatory, simply because text can be easily altered by the user. A reader could switch from Times New Roman to Calibri, a dyslexic-friendly font, or any other font that they choose.

However, we can think of a few situations in which the design of a typeface could unintentionally contribute to a digital accessibility lawsuit:

• Using absolute font sizes. When you set font styles in CSS using absolute values (like pts or pixels), you can take control away from your users. Learn why relative values work better when setting font sizes.
• Using headings that aren’t visually obvious. Subheadings should be significantly larger than the body type to help users understand content and navigate your website. If subheadings are the same size as the body text, they’re much less useful. Learn more about the best practices of using subheadings for accessibility.
• Low-contrast text. There’s a reason that every digital accessibility blog talks about low-contrast text constantly: It’s one of the most common accessibility failures, and it’s quite frustrating for people with vision disabilities! Use a tool like AudioEye’s Color Contrast Checker to test color-pairs before publishing.
• Relying on visual-only emphasis. You might put important words in italics or bold typeface — but those techniques are not necessarily accessible for people who use screen readers. Non-semantic tags like <b> or <i> change the visual styling of text but may not convey meaning, technically violating WCAG 1.1.1 in some circumstances.

You’re unlikely to face a lawsuit for a single one of these issues; however, accessibility lawsuits tend to include long lists of failed WCAG criteria, and “small" violations can add up quickly.

Related: The U.S. Population Is Aging. Is Your Website Accessible for Older Adults?

Accessible typefaces make content easier to read — and for most situations, that means that they're a better choice

We talk about compliance regularly on this blog, and for good reason: Most accessibility initiatives start out of concern for compliance. But the goal of accessibility isn’t just conformance with WCAG or compliance with laws like the ADA. Your goal is to create inclusive content that works for as many people as possible.

To that end, framing a typeface as “DEIA gone wild" misses the point. You want your message to reach as many people as possible: Clear, legible typography accomplishes that goal.

Whether you are selling software or writing diplomatic cables, you want your audience to focus on substance. Accessible design isn’t just for people with disabilities; it improves experiences for every user, which helps you get your point across.

If you have questions about digital accessibility or ADA compliance, we’re here to help. Send us a message to connect with an expert.